page_title: The Generals of the Yang Family
section_title: Yuan/Ming Dynasty plays: 14th to 15th centuries
hierarchical_section_title: The Generals of the Yang Family / Literary development / Yuan/Ming Dynasty plays: 14th to 15th centuries
caption_attribution_description: English: Haotian pagoda of Beijing, Fangshan district
context_page_description: The Generals of the Yang Family is a collection of Chinese folklore, plays and novels on a military family from the earlier years of imperial China's Song Dynasty. The stories recount the unflinching loyalty and the remarkable bravery of the Yangs as they sacrificed themselves to defend their country from foreign military powers, namely the Khitan-ruled Liao Dynasty and Tangut-ruled Western Xia.
  Spanning the century from 950 to 1050, the mostly fictional saga was based on the lives of historical characters Yang Ye, Yang Ye's son Yang Yanzhao and Yang Yanzhao's son Yang Wenguang. As Yang Yanzhao was nicknamed "6th son" in history, the stories made him Yang Ye's 6th eldest son. Also, as Yang Wenguang was close to 2 generations younger than his father, the stories made him Yang Yanzhao's grandson instead.
context_section_description: In a list of plays from Southern Song Dynasty's northern neighbor Jin dynasty (1115–1234), one title probably refers to an episode in the Yang saga:
  Da Wang Shumi Cuan (打王樞密爨; "The Skit of Beating Military Affairs Commissioner Wang")
  By the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), plays in the form of zaju on the Yang saga appeared. Many scripts survived in its entirety, almost all compiled the Ming Dynasty so their authenticity have
  Haotian ta Meng Liang dao gu (昊天塔孟良盜骨; "At Haotian Pagoda Meng Liang Steals the Bones")
  Ba dawang kaizhao jiu zhongchen (八大王開詔救忠臣; "The Eighth Great Prince Opens a Proclamation and Saves a Loyal Vassal")
  Xie Jinwu zha chai Qingfeng fu (謝金吾詐拆清風府; "Xie Jinwu Underhandedly Tears Down Clear Breeze Mansion")
  Yang Liulang diaobing po tianzhen (楊六郎調兵破天陣; "Yang's 6th son lines up his troops and defeats the Heavenly Battle Array")
  Jiao Guangzan huona Xiao Tianyou (焦光贊活拿蕭天佑; "Jiao Guangzan catches Xiao Tianyou alive")
  Huang Meiweng cifu shangshou (黃眉翁賜福上壽; "The Yellow-Eyebrows Greybeard offers blessing and extends longevity")
caption: Haotian Pagoda in Beijing, where Yang Ye's bones are said to have been kept by the Khitans after his death. According to legend, the tombs of Jiao Zan and Meng Liang are next to the pagoda today.
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